See, If you are using a MacBook 2016 model, then an Apple Remote is not for you because your Mac does not support the IR remote. But if you want to use a remote for your Mac go for a bluetooth compatible remote to use.

I was just in-store and asked the 2 guys who helped me if the apple remote will work with my macbook pro retina display 13". They both said yes and even showed me where I would go to pair it.

1. System Preferences
2. Security & Privacy
3. Advanced

I did those three steps and also tried to google and looked at the manual, both of which said to hold my remote 3-4 inches from the screen and hold down menu and right buttons for 6 seconds until a linking symbol showed up on screen. None of this happened. I am disappointed because I bought this for an important presentation tomorrow and was assured by 2 apple geniuses that it would work.

I will definitely be taking it back unless there is something else I can try to make it work.

Apple remotes (made for the computers and not the Apple TV) are made with Infrared not bluetooth. This means your laptop has to have a infrared receiver. The newer macs no longer have these receivers (at least the MacBooks don't) so the remotes no longer work.

You can see that the older MacBooks (e.g. the 2010 macbook pro) has a black line on the front edge of the body which is the infrared receiver - it works on that. New ones don't have this and so don't have infrared built in.

Wikipedia says you can buy yourself a infrared receiver to plug into your USB port.

I purchased an apple USB superdrive to watch movies through my macbook pro retina (using a large monitor as the "tv screen"). I will obviously need some sort of remote to control the DVD player while sitting across the room on the couch. Will the Apple remote work to do this? Or is there an app somewhere to use through my Android phone?

Here's the idea, I want to pair my iPhone weekly schedule with apple TV before bed, then when the iPhone alarm goes off in the morning, I'd love to look up and see my schedule for the day. Is there a way to have apple tv turn on at a specific time with airplay mirroring?